'Big Nog' Has Surgery, Pulver And Sapp Get KO'd On The Round-Up

MMA Nation Round-Up provides you with daily coverage of the latest in news, multimedia, and analysis throughout the world of combat sports. Today we'll continue to look ahead to UFC 141 and UFC 142, before turning our gaze to Vinny Magalhaes' contract situation and the sad last legs of a pair of fading MMA names. Let's start it off.

- The UFC 141 media conference call took place on Monday and MMA Nation was on with full coverage. Listen in to hear Brock Lesnar and Alistair Overeem discuss their health, drug testing, and the implications for their titanic heavyweight clash.

- Want to see proof of how big MMA is getting in Brazil? Anderson Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira face-off in this commercial for the Honda Hornet.

- Speaking of Brazil, Leland Rolling dropped the latest offering of Bloody Elbow's fantastic 2012 World Scouting Report. A Brazilian bantamweight nicknamed "Pitbull"... sounds a little familiar.

- Keeping with the 135-pounders, Fraser Coffeen stopped by with the UFC Bantamweight Division State of the Union.

- Vitor Belfort kick starts his upcoming diary series titled "The Road to UFC 142". He promises one thing: it's going to be a "nightmare" for Anthony Johnson.

- From fight of the year to fighter of the year, MMA Nation's own Luke Thomas gave his take on the year's best in mixed martial arts on CSN Washington's The Fight Fix. 

- M-1 Global light heayweight champion Vinny Magalhaes hasn't had any reservations about voicing his desire to return to the UFC. "The only thing missing is for my contract with M1 to expire."

- Big Nog underwent surgery after all. The former heavyweight champ hopes to return to action sometime in June. (via Tatame)

- Checking in with the other end of the Big Nog-surgery equation, Frank Mir is hopeful that the dissolution of the Strikeforce heavyweight division leads to an increase in depth for the UFC. "I guess I have a bad taste in my mouth because of what happened when I first started my career. I had to always hear about, 'Oh, you guys are good, but the PRIDE guys would kick your butt.'"

- M-1 President Vadim Finkelstein had some choice words for UFC President Dana White over the weekend. "Dana White is like a dog on hay -- he neither eats it himself, nor lets the others eat it."

- As MMA moves into its new era, watching legends of old guard burnout on the regional circuit is becoming all to commonplace. Jens Pulver is the latest victim. The former UFC lightweight champion lost via brutal knockout to Timothy Elliot over the weekend. (HT: MMA Mania)

- With the Strikeforce lightweight cupboard now bare after Gilbert Melendez's victory over Jorge Masvidal, the pressure is on promotion officials to justify their refusal to move "El Nino" into the UFC. However, one particular name could be exactly what the doctor ordered.

- Junie Browning's situation seemingly gets worse every week. At this point the former UFC fighter has been forced to flee Thailand in poor health and is fearing for his life with the Thai mafia in hot pursuit.

- Bob Sapp was yet another name of MMA's past to pop up over the weekend. And just like Pulver, Sapp's night ended in bloody fashion. (HT: MMA Mania)